NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Nashville family is suing their contractor for $119,000 after a home rebuild project ended in what they call "a lovely disaster."
With the cost of housing so high, more families are choosing to renovate or even rebuild instead of buying something new.
Altie Jordan, her husband, and two children moved into their house in 2021. Two years earlier, they hired a builder recommended by their realtor to replace their existing home.
"He had done work for him before and done a great job and so he would have no reason to think it would ever come to this," said Jordan.
However, from day one, the Jordans said there were problems. For starters, the builder didn’t follow the right floor plan. Then workers used the toilets before anyone realized there were no pipes in the ground.
"Our house was built. Built! And we had no plumbing underneath our home," Jordan said.
The Jordans are suing Corey Allen from Allen Construction Remodeling & Home Improvement for $119,000.
I found state licensing records that show while Allen was licensed at the time of the Jordan family's project, that license was limited to jobs of $125,000, well below the $218,000 project he promised the Jordans.
I reached out to Allen for comment. He said he would call back. Allen's license was suspended on July 31, 2021 due to an unpaid balance of a $15,000 civil penalty before his license status was changed to a fully expired status.
Jordan reached out after seeing my reporting last July about a homeowner facing a similar situation, who had partnered with a state lawmaker to push for stronger contractor protections.
That lawmaker was State Sen. Charlane Oliver. I set up a short call with her to talk about the issue. Although her bill, SB2507—which proposed stricter regulations for unlicensed contractors and harsher penalties across the board—did not advance, Oliver emphasized that the problem is too widespread to ignore in the next legislative session. The Senator discussed said it aimed to strengthen accountability for unlicensed contractors by lowering the liability threshold from $25,000 to $10,000 and requiring written disclosure of unlicensed status.
"We shouldn't put the entire burden on the consumer," State Sen. Charlane Oliver said.
The Jordans hope sharing their story will help shine a light on the issues.
"At this point, I'm like, you know, if this is gonna help one more person not to be standing where I'm standing, then I have to do something," Jordan said.
The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance governs the State Board for Licensing Contractors. In a statement, a spokesperson said the following.
The mission of the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors is to protect the public health, safety and welfare through the regulation of contractors, home improvement contractors, limited licensed electricians, and limited licensed plumbers. Consumers are encouraged to file complaints with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance when they feel they have been the victim of an unfair or deceptive business practice, witnessed unlicensed activity or seen suspected misconduct or other violations of respective law or rules. Link: Access
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